The interest of our country towards archeology is showing positive development each passing day. More than 100 scientific excavations are carried out every year. However, our biggest problem is publication. It is pleasing that there are so many excavations but it is dispiriting to see the scarcity of scientific publications. Underwater archeology is a very new field at the point of protecting our cultural heritage. By the contribution of the science world and visionaries, a work has been created that will be a reference guide in this field that is developing every passing day. “The Portraits of The Deep” has truly become a heart-warming reference book that tells marvelous stories and brought together the people who have served in this field. A work, which I embrace with great pleasure that would make me say “I would be jealous if didn’t have it in my library” and made me keep going on and on about it, has come to light. I see myself in great debt of gratitude to both the TINA foundation and Mehmet Bezdan, who has shown a great effort in preparation of this book, for the support he has given in protecting the cultural heritage of my country, and his great efforts in trying to create a consciousness in this issue. Thank you for everything.
“While this colorful documentary, which tells us the story of the hard paths of the archeology from the eyes of their heroes, reflects an important section of archeology history to the reader, it also reminds us once again how much we need those devoted people for the development of the modern world.”
Professor Dr. A. Kaan Şenol
The book “Portraits of The Deep” introduces us the 20 names, whom I came across in some parts of my life, who are passionate about underwater archeology, which is a branch of archeology I am also interested in as an amateur. It is possible for the reader, who is interested in underwater archeology or archeology in general, to complete many missing points in his or her mind in view of a wide panorama. At the other end, a curious young reader who comes across this book by chance, will thrive when he or she reads these interviews. In addition to all these, publishing the book in English, will surely be helpful in terms of acquiring the reputation it deserves abroad as well.
Assistant Professor Sedat Bornovalı
Although archeology is generally known as the story of those underground, this book takes us to another dimension of archeology. The book “Portraits of The Deep” published by TINA, “The Turkish Foundation for Underwater Archeology” is an important masterpiece to tell the story of underwater archeology since the beginning of the 1950’s. The main purpose of the book is to tell the oral history, which was created by the contributions of a great number of native and foreign people, in the taste of a fairytale story. It is also important that the book is written in memory of Mustafa V. Koç, who has recently passed away.
Assistant Professor Haluk Sağlamtimur
